Eating Clean and Delicious

Cooking and eating healthier is a common New Yearâ€™s resolution, but it can be hard to stay on track if you run out of recipe ideas. Thankfully, a new cookbook penned by local recipe developer Alexis Kornblum Davidson is filled with exciting ways to incorporate gluten-free and Paleo-friendly dishes into your daily routine without sacrificing flavor.

Davidson, who lives just outside Boston, was inspired to change her diet after years of suffering from GI issues and an overall lack of physical and mental energy.

â€śWhen I hit the point of my gut health getting in the way of daily activities, I knew I needed to do something about it,â€ť says Davidson. In 2012, she began changing her eating habits, adopting a gluten-free and Paleo diet and exercising more. Not wanting to lost out on the joy of eating great meals, Davidson started out by developing recipes that worked for her lifestyle through a process of trial and error. She began sharing her recipes online on her food blog, Lexiâ€™s Clean Kitchen, and developed a loyal following.

These days, Davidson continues to spend most of her time in the kitchen, crafting recipes that are packed with flavor and subsequently taking drool-worthy photographs of her creations. She recently had her first cookbook published. â€śLexiâ€™s Clean Kitchenâ€ť (November, 2016, Victory Belt Publishing). She kicked off her cookbook tour with appearances at Whole Foods Markets around New England, including appearances on the South Shore in Hingham and South Weymouth. The cookbook contains over 150 recipes that are free of gluten, grains, dairy, soy and refined sugars. Recipes contain special diet labels, including dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, vegan, and Paleo-friendly for easy navigation (all of the recipes are gluten-free).

2. Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Pour over the salad and serve immediately.

As a kid, I really enjoyed fast-food chicken nuggets. Now, in my adult life, I canâ€™t believe how many Wendyâ€™s pit stops I made in my youth. Pretty disturbing. But guess what? Even in a clean-eating lifestyle, you can still have chicken nuggets that youâ€™ll rave about! These nuggets are seasoned just right, baked until golden and crispy, and served with a creamy honey mustard dipping sauceâ€”all of the flavor with none of the junky ingredients.

CLASSIC BAKED CHICKEN NUGGETS

Serves: 4 Â Â Â Prep time: 10 minutes Â Â

Cook time: 20 minutes

Dairy-free / Paleo-friendly

Ingredients:

1 cup blanched almond flour

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic granules

1 teaspoon onion powder

Â˝ teaspoon paprika

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Â˝ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 large egg

1 teaspoon water

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

For the creamy honey mustard:

2 tablespoons mayo, homemade or store-bought

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375Â°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, spices, and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and water until well combined.

4. Drop a few chicken cubes into the egg wash and turn them until coated. Transfer the coated chicken cubes to the spice bowl and dredge until evenly coated with the seasoning mixture. Place the coated chicken on the lined baking sheet.

5. Repeat until all of the chicken is coated, making sure to spread the cubes evenly on the baking sheet and leave some space between them.

6. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 8 minutes, until the chicken is golden and crispy and no pink remains in the center.

7. While the chicken is baking, whisk together the ingredients for the honey mustard or prepare another dipping sauce of choice (see suggestions below). Serve immediately with the nuggets.

Variation: Make â€™em spicy! Just add ÂĽ to Â˝ teaspoon of cayenne
pepper and Â˝ teaspoon of chili powder to the spice mixture.

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